A Baby
by Fawn Hickory
Summary: Hawkeye and Kellye are trying to start a family, but it's not as easy as they thought it would be. CHAPTER TWENTY AND IT IS DONE!
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the newest, the latest. Something I think is fairly new, anyway, I haven't seen it before, Hawkeye and Kellye pairing. My first post war fic post too. Please R&R!!**

*******

"Hawkeye, it happened again." Kellye told her husband sadly. "The fourth miscarriage."

Hawkeye sighed, deflated. "Honey," he said gently, "I don't think we should try anymore. This isn't good for you, physically or emotionally, and if they can't live, we shouldn't make anymore babies."

Kellye went into his arms as silent sobs shook her shoulders. She nodded and when she could speak she said, "You're right, but I wanted a baby so bad."

"I know, I did too."

***

Four months later, Hawkeye came home smiling.

"What?" Kellye asked, the big grin infectious even though she didn't know its cause.

"I got a letter from Father Mulcahy today. Sent it to the clinic since he lost our address in his move."

"Okay, but I don't think a simple letter, even if it's from your favorite priest, would put that big a smile on your face. What's up?"

"He gave me a wonderful idea. He's in Korea again, helping out Meg Cratty. I started thinking, why don't we adopt a Korean orphan?"

"What?" Kellye's smile faded and her dark brown eyes were uncomprehending.

"Don't you remember how many orphans we saw? There are so many more, more everyday, Kellye. You know we didn't take the mines home with us when we left. What if we adopted one of those babies?"

Kellye sank slowly into a chair, a variety of emotions flitting across her face.

"Well what do you think?" Hawkeye asked, clearly thrilled at his plan. "We want a child, they need parents. It's perfect!"

"Hawkeye, I'm pregnant again."

"What? How? We've been using protection…"

"I don't know but I'm scared. I want to be happy but I'm afraid this baby is…" She trailed off. Not needing to finish. He knew what she meant.

He didn't mention adoption to her again, but he didn't forget about it either. He kept hoping, praying, this spark would catch inside Kellye and grow but the idea of giving one of those children a home still appealed to him, maybe as something they could do in the few years when they wanted to add to their family again. Hawkeye couldn't forget the words Father Mulcahy had penned to him: "So many children, Hawkeye, they all need love."

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter Two, for everyone's reading enjoyment. Thank you for the reviews. I'm glad y'all are enjoying my pairing. I like this match for several reasons, one of which being the non-traditionally attractive girl ended up with the sexiest guy in camp and possibly in Korea. :-)**

*******

Just into Kellye's second trimester, February winds rattled the bedroom window and at first that was what he thought had roused him.

"Hawkeye," Kellye pleaded beside him.

"What's wrong?" He turned on the light and looked at her face and knew it hadn't been the wind.

"It's happening again," she told him as tears of pain and sorrow rolled down her face.

* * *

The next day, while Kellye managed to sleep a little, Hawkeye clutched a cup of coffee and turned a haggard gaze to his father when he came in.

"She's going to be fine." Daniel Pierce said.

"Yeah. Dad, I feel like this is my fault."

"Why?" Daniel asked. He got his own coffee and sat down beside Hawkeye.

"A couple of months ago, I asked Kellye about adopting a baby. She told be she was pregnant so I haven't brought it up again, but I didn't forget about it either. Now I feel so damn guilty."

Daniel began to rub Hawkeye's back, between his shoulder blades. "How could something you thought cause Kellye's body to reject her fetus?"

"It couldn't but…"

"I know what you mean. I know how you feel. Hawkeye, have you ever wondered why it was just you?"

Hawkeye stared at him for a minute, "Once or twice, I suppose."

"Your mother had two miscarriages. One about eighteen months before you were born, and one when you were just over a year. After that we decided that you, our little boy, were enough and we quit trying for anymore."

Hawkeye was silent, absorbing this information.

"You asked Kellye about adopting?" Daniel said.

"Yeah. I got a letter from Father Mulcahy. Remember, I told you about him."

"I remember."

"He wrote to me from Korea , helping at the orphanage again. You know the war didn't end for them like it ended for us. The poverty and the land mines are still making orphans, and then the mines go back and make crippled orphans. I got to thinking, if we can't have a baby of our own, why not give one of them a chance at a decent life?"

"That's not a bad idea, Hawk. What did Kellye say?"

"She told me she was pregnant."

"Ah-ha."

"Now, well, she's not pregnant anymore but I can't just bring it up again. That'd be callous, unfeeling…" he trailed off, searching for words to describe what he was thinking.

"You're right, but maybe, when a little time goes by, she'd be interested. Let her heal and see what happens."

"You're right, Dad." Hawkeye stared into the dark liquid in his cup for a long while, and Daniel didn't try to break the silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter three. I wish to clarify that I did not mean that Hawkeye was causing Kellye's miscarraiges, in case anyone else thought that might be what I was implying, but that Mr. and Mrs. Pierce's experience is merely an anchor for Hawkeye to draw from.**

**Anyway, here is more, and I hope you like it and will review. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. **

*******

"Five years, Hawk, can you believe it?" BJ Hunnicutt asked his friend as they sat on the porch of the Pierce house. It was late July and warm enough, although not as hot as they had seen it get in Korea.

"I know. We thought the war would never end, remember?"

"How could I forget?" He took a deep drink from the glass of ice tea in his hand and sighed. This wasn't the first time the two old friends had seen one another-that had occurred at Hawkeye and Kellye's wedding two and a half years before-but this was the first time BJ had been to Maine and he had to admit, it was pretty nice.

"Boys, dinner is ready," Kellye called to them from inside the open kitchen door where she and BJ's wife Peg were cooking. "Call the kids," Peg added.

Erin Hunnicutt, now a sharp-minded, occasionally outspoken eight year old, and the set of twins, born thirteen months after BJ got home, were playing in the big back yard, oblivious to the warmth that had their father languishing in a lawn chair.

"Erin! Ben! Johnny! Supper!" BJ called to them as he and Hawkeye got to their feet and headed inside.

***

"Kellye?" Erin asked later that evening, "Why don't you and Hawkeye have any children?"

BJ and Kellye both went white as sheets. "Erin!" Peg said when she found her voice.

"It's okay," Kellye said, pinning a smile in place. "Honey, I guess my body just can't grow a baby."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Erin went back to the picture she was coloring.

"Kellye, Hawkeye, I'm sorry. We have to have another talk with her about what it's appropriate to ask," Peg said apologetically. The paleness that crossed her face when Erin first spoke had been replaced by an embarrassed flush.

"When I was a kid, I probably would have came out with the same thing," Hawkeye said, trying to make the whole party feel better. He held Ben Hunnicutt on his lap and the nearly four year old was intently playing with his hands, steepling his fingers and holding down different fingers in different combinations and asking Hawkeye how many _that_ was.

"I wonder if she heard us talking." Peg asked quietly. "BJ and I were talking about you on the plane, you see. We thought the kids were asleep, and we were just talking about how sad it is to want a baby and not be able to have one." She looked like she wished the whole topic hadn't been brought up.

Kellye managed another smile. "It's fine."

***

Two days later, Peg and BJ had gone for a little ride in the rental car, a little time alone, after Hawkeye insisted he and Kellye would love to watch Johnny, Ben and Erin. The kids were playing outside again, and Kellye and Hawkeye were sitting together on the porch this time.

Kellye sighed after a bit, and Hawkeye looked at her. "Hmm?"

"It is sad."

"What?"

"To want a baby and not be able to have one."

"Yeah." He covered her hand with his and gave her a little smile.

"Hawkeye?"

He looked at her.

"Remember that letter you got from Father Mulcahy?"

Letter? Letter! Hawkeye's stomach jumped. "Sure."

"I've been watching these kids and I've been thinking, and I think maybe we should check that out."

"You mean adopting a baby?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Hawkeye squeezed her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four has arrived. Texas Bluebonnet, told you to look out for more of our favorite M*A*S*H characters. **

**Enjoy!!**

**PS I know the chapters might seem a little short but I'm kind of doing that on purpose. Just go with it, okay?**

*******

BJ, Peg and the kids headed home on August third, and in the evening of the day they left, Hawkeye was sitting in the little office space he'd set up for himself.

"What are you thinking?" Kellye asked when she brought him a glass of milk and sat down nearby.

"You're sure about this adoption?"

"I think we should check it out."

"I know who to call." Hawkeye was excited, and he was all motion when he heard her affirmative answer.

"Who?"

"Trapper. He and his wife wanted to adopt this little Korean boy when we were over there. His wife Louise went and talked to a lawyer and everything." He glanced at the clock. "Seven o'clock. Not to late to call an old friend for a chat."

"You're going to do that now?"

"Why not? One shouldn't dawdle when there's important business to attend to." He stood up and headed out to the kitchen for the phone.

He asked the operator to connect him to John Xavier McIntyre, Boston, and after a few rings a familiar voice answered.

"Trapper, how are you?"

"Hawkeye? You old sonofa-how are you?"

"I'm okay but Kellye and I've been having a little trouble."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. How is Kellye? I still can't believe she caught you."

"She borrowed Uncle Sam's butterfly net." Hawkeye said those teasing words while shooting Kellye a look that raised her temperature by several degrees. "Look, Trap, the reason I'm calling is, I wondered what you could tell me about when you wanted to adopt Kim. I mean, legally-speaking."

"I think the papers and stuff are still around here but why?"

"We've been having some trouble. Miscarriages, and now we're thinking about adoption. From Korea, if we can. So I thought I'd call you and see what you could tell me."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Hawkeye. Tell Kellye I'm sorry too. Louise and I'll try to find that information and mail it out to you as soon as we can."

"That'd be terrific, Trapper, thanks."

"You're welcome, and if there's anything else I can do, you let me know."

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Hawkeye hung up the phone and looked over at Kellye. "Trapper sends his apologies about the miscarriages, and he's going to find the information he had for Kim and mail it out to us."

"Good." She stood up and yawned, then smiled at him. "I'm going to bed. You coming?"

"Sure."

***

A fat brown envelope arrived from John and Louise McIntyre around a week later, and they read over everything in it very carefully twice, then called a lawyer.

After the second meeting with Perley Dexter, Family Attorney, Hawkeye came home with a headache. "There's so much red tape we could decorate the Christmas tree with it!" He groaned.

"If it were easy it wouldn't be worth doing," Kellye soothed. "It's not impossible, Hawkeye. It might be difficult but it's not impossible and that's what matters. It's possible.

He looked at her, a small smile coming to his face. "I love you so much."

"I know."


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's five. I lost the notebook I was writing this in but I remember most of what I was thinking so I redid it freestyle, I guess you could call it. Read and Review, please!!**

*******

As complicated as everything seemed, with the lawyer's help, it moved much more quickly than they thought it would. They met with more people than Hawkeye could keep straight and the approvals they needed to adopt a child from Korea trickled in.

In December, Father Mulcahy went back to Korea with more money and supplies for Meg Cratty's kids, and Hawkeye got another letter from him with a Korean postmark.

"You should see them, Hawkeye," he wrote. "When I arrive they look upon me as if I were Santa Claus."

***

As Hawkeye and Kellye got ready for bed one night, Kellye was thoughtful. "Which would you like best, a boy or a girl?"

Hawkeye paused to consider the question for a minute. "I don't know. A little girl would be so sweet, but from what I hear, that's all most people want to adopt and the little boys need homes too." He crawled under the covers and pulled the soft, navy blue blanket up to his waist.

"I know. I don't know, but we're going to have to figure it out pretty soon." Kellye got into bed with him and sat there, looking at her hands. He put his arm around her and drew her into a cuddle.

"You think we'll know?"

"What?"

"When we get there," Hawkeye clarified. "You think we'll know which is meant to be ours when we see him or her?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

***

Approval for them to go to Korea and pick out the child they wanted came around Christmas. They began to plan a trip for early February-a year since Kellye's last miscarriage- and during the first week of January, they had another letter, this one from Meg herself.

"Well aren't we popular," Hawkeye said jokingly as he broke the seal. He read it and looked at her. "I guess we made the decision without making the decision. Meg wants us to come to her orphanage to pick our child."

They were seriously considering doing just that, but now, since she had asked them right out, there was no way they couldn't. So they wrote a letter back to her and made plans to be there on February sixth.

***

Kellye couldn't sleep the night before the flight to Korea. She lay in bed beside Hawkeye, his arm protectively around her, until she thought he was asleep, and then she slipped out and padded down the stairs.

They had bought some things from the Montgomery Ward-or, as Hawkeye preferred to call it, Monkey Ward-to take with them for the children. There were several bears, nearly twenty small pairs of socks and underwear, and five child-sized blankets. There were in Daniel Pierce's largest suitcase and now Kellye opened the brown leather behemoth and began to refold everything.

"Kellye?"

She jumped and looked up at Hawkeye, who was standing there in his flannel pajamas and bare feet looking down at her with concern.

"Hi."

"What are you doing? It took me fifteen minutes and Dad's help to get that thing shut today."

"Sorry. I'm nervous."

"It's okay. Here, sit on it while I fasten it. Everything is folded just fine."

They wrestled it shut again and he invited her into his arms on the sofa. "It's going to be fine. We'll find the perfect child, and we'll be able to bring him or her home in a few months and we'll be a happy family."

"Okay, Hawkeye."

***

The postman brought the mail as they were getting ready to leave the next morning. They took it and stuffed it into Kellye's carry-on to read on the plane.

There was another letter from Meg.

"Dear Hawkeye and Kellye,

I know you've been having trouble deciding on the sex of your child. I have the solution. There is a set of twins, about nine months old, that came in a little over a month ago. One is a boy, the other a girl. They're healthy as can be expected, and their parents were killed in an explosion. They'll be hard to adopt, so I wonder if you would consider them. Be seeing you soon,

Meg Cratty."

"Twins?" Kellye said.

Hawkeye's eyebrows were halfway up his forehead and he nodded in a vague sort of way. "We were approved for more than one." His voice was barely above a whisper. "What do you think?"

"Let's see what happens when we get there."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: That's all for this week folks, but I'll be here Monday and hope you are too. Hope you like this story and will review. Remember, if you have any quesions don't be afraid to ask. **

*******

The flight was uneventful, and Kellye napped for part of it, catching up on the sleep she missed the night before. Hawkeye was wide awake though.

"We'll see." When he was a child, asking for something and his mother or father told him "We'll see," it usually meant no.

Why wouldn't Kellye want two, if they could have them, when just a few weeks ago she was wondering about a boy or a girl? It would answer the question perfectly. And then there was the issue of having the two children they thought they wanted without having to go through the adoption hassle all over again. It seemed like the best idea anyone had had yet, aside from adopting in the first place.

_Well,_ he thought, _Dad was right when he told me to wait and see what Kellye said about the adoption in the first place, and she brought it up when she was ready. Maybe she'll meet those babies and decide it's right._

_I hope._

***

There was a surprise waiting for them at the Korean airport. Instead of the cab driver they intended to hire, a familiar, laughing voice called to them. "Pierce!"

They plowed through the crowd to the source and Hawkeye laughed out loud when he saw who was waiting for them. "Father!"

"Hello, my son! Kellye, lovely to see you again as well." Mulcahy embraced them both and stooped to take Kellye's carry-on from her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Meg told me you were coming so I extended my visit a bit to be here. I had intended to go back to the States on the twentieth of January but I couldn't resist the chance for a visit." The smiling priest spoke only a little louder than a person normally would, and he watched their lips intently. Just before he went home from the war, an explosion had taken a good part of his hearing but it didn't seem to slow him down. "I have a truck, and as soon as we collect your baggage we can head back to the orphanage."

***

Hawkeye sat in the center seat, and the cab of the truck was spacious enough for them to sit comfortably. He kept a steadying hand on the dashboard-the roads hadn't improved much since the war-and he looked at Mulcahy with a big smile on his face. "Thank you," he said, close to Mulcahy's ear since he couldn't watch their mouths while he was driving.

"For what?"

"Giving me this idea."

"Oh, well, Hawkeye…"

"No, I wouldn't have thought of it if you hadn't talked about the kids in your letters. Thank you."

"I didn't do anything." But he was smiling.

***

Meg met them at the door, and she hugged the two newcomers as well. During the war, a few times she and the kids had bunked at the 4077th when the orphanage was being shelled, and everyone liked Meg and the kids, everyone except Frank Burns but then again, he didn't really like anyone.

"We come bearing gifts!" Hawkeye said, lugging the big brown suitcase.

"Ah, thank you, Captain."

"No, Meg, never call me captain again. I'd flush my bars down the toilet but I think more of the sewer than that."

Meg laughed.

"Let me show you the spare room. Well, kind of a spare room, and the Father is in there as well but we put up a curtain."

"Thanks."

***

"Don't worry, Hawkeye, I don't snore." Mulcahy assured them as they slid the suitcases under the two army-issue cots Kellye and Hawkeye would be sleeping on.

"Father, you didn't have anything to do with these, did you?"

Mulcahy looked embarrassed but slightly amused. "Well, no one else was using them."

"Folks," Meg said, coming into the room with two hip-fulls of child. "I'd like you to meet Sing May and Sung Jung."

Kellye turned around, saw the children, and burst into tears.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is Chapter Seven. I didn't think I'd get to post it today but I managed to sneak away and get it done. (There's your explanation, Bea. Maybe I'll get away to post another chapter tomorrow.)**

**Hope y'all like it. Remember, M*A*S*H isn't mine but I love it and there can never be enough, as far as I'm concerned. Please review!! And by the way, for you folks who are wondering how Hawk and Kellye got together, I have another story in the works explaining everything. It'll be posted eventually. There will be some hints in here, but I don't want to give everything away.**

*******

"What?" Hawkeye asked, alarmed.

"They're half white, aren't they?"

"There's a pretty good chance," Meg said.

"How is that possible? The soldiers went home over five years ago." Hawkeye said.

"Not all of them. That's one of the reasons I wanted you two to have a look at these two."

"Better for them in America than here," Hawkeye said gravely. They had experience with half white, half Korean children, a sweet little girl that spent a short amount of time at the 4077th. Those children were ostracized, the girls even murdered.

Kellye was still weeping quietly, his arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"The baby I miscarried would only be a few months younger than them." She looked up into his blue eyes, wanting him to understand. "I'm Asian and you're white. Our babies may have looked like them."

The light bulb went on in his mind and he nodded.

"Would you like to be alone?" Father Mulcahy asked gently.

"No." Kellye answered. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and Hawkeye produced a white handkerchief for her to blow her nose on. "Introduce us again." She said with a wobbly smile.

Mulcahy took the little boy from Meg and planted him on his hip.

"This is Sing May," Meg said, bringing the little girl closer to the married couple.

"Hi," Hawkeye said, instantly taken in by the deep brown eyes.

She looked at him, with her fist wadded tightly in the kerchief Meg had tied loosely under the collar of her blue work shirt.

"Hi, May," Hawkeye repeated. "I'm-" He stopped. Who was he? Dr. Pierce? Too formal. Daddy? Maybe. Hawkeye? Good enough. "-I'm Hawkeye."

"And this is Sung Jung." Mulcahy brought the little boy closer to Kellye.

Sung Jung had a very serious expression. She smiled at him, tentatively putting out her hands to take him. Mulcahy leaned towards her, giving the baby the signal to go to her. He did so without complaint.

The little body was smaller than other children the same age she'd held, though the twins exhibited none of the floppiness and lack of muscle control of a younger baby.

He had nearly one whole fist jammed in his mouth and he kept it there as she bounced him on her round hip. Then he caught sight of the gold monogrammed locket she wore. He grinned and grabbed for it. She laughed at him, and Hawkeye, who had charmed Sing May out of Meg's arms, smiled.

***

The gifts were divided, and they saw firsthand the look Mulcahy had talked about when he brought supplies. Somewhere around the time Meg declared the two teddy bears she hadn't put away to be general property, they had switched children, and Hawkeye looked like he was born to hold babies.

***

"What do you think?" Hawkeye whispered to Kellye that night after the orphanage was in bed.

"They're sure sweet."

"May is beautiful," Hawkeye said. "Perfect."

"You want them."

"Yes,"

She lay there quiet for a while.

Hawkeye squirmed on his cot. For three years he's slept on one, some of the deepest and dreamless sleeps of his life borne of sheet exhaustion. That was then. They were more uncomfortable than he remembered, he noticed.

On the other side of the curtain came the soft sounds of Mulcahy breathing and reading his Bible by candle light. With his hearing problem, privacy wasn't a huge issue as long as they were fairly quiet.

"Let's see what happens, okay?"

Hawkeye was getting tired of that phrase but so far, each time she said it everything worked out all right. So he just made a sound of agreement in his throat and tried to fall asleep.

"Hawkeye?" She asked a bit later.

"Hmm?"

"They may be the ones."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight is here. Enjoy, please, and don't forget to review. **

*******

The next morning, Meg asked Hawkeye and Kellye if they wanted to help feed the twins, figuring that the maternal contact would help warm Kellye up to them.

Hawkeye had the little boy, and Kellye the girl. She was spooning the rice gruel into the Sing May's mouth, and trying to keep her from grabbing the dish or the spoon and flinging food all over the place.

Sing May opened her mouth willingly for each spoonful and gummed it, her one tooth not making much difference. The bowl was half empty, and Kellye smiled at her, saying, "It's almost gone."

Sing May swallowed, looked at her, and broke into the most adorable baby smile Kellye had ever seen.

Hawkeye caught the look that the baby put on Kellye's face and thought, _yeah, they're coming home with us._

***

The trip was planned to be two weeks long, and since they were staying at the orphanage, during that two weeks Meg had two extra sets of hands. There were sixteen kids there in all, ranging in age from the nine month old twins to a fourteen year old boy named Ham.

He was aloof, spending as much time as he could away from the other kids and the adults. Meg told them that he had been there for about ten months and compared to his attitude when he first arrived, he was warm and fuzzy now.

Kellye noticed it first, since she was used to the stares and sometimes glares that a person of the minority race received. The boy looked at the babies as she looked at the cockroaches Meg was continuously battling.

In bed one night she pointed it out to Hawkeye, who said he hadn't noticed. "Watch him," she said. "See how he looks at them. Hawkeye, I don't want them to be alone around him."

"I'll keep an eye out."

There were looks, and the next night Hawkeye told her that he saw it too. "There's nothing that we can do," he said.

"I know. But it makes me nervous."

***

It was three days before they were to go home. Mulcahy was staying until they left, and until they reached San Francisco, they would be on the same flight.

They were cleaning up from supper and Kellye was entertaining a group of the younger kids while she held the twins in her lap. Most of them knew a little English, at least, and she was telling the story of the Princess and the Pea. The older boy was carrying the dishes away and he mumbled, "Why doesn't she do this, instead of holding those little…" and he said a Korean word that, even thought she didn't understand the meaning she could hear the hate.

"Ham!" Meg said, her voice sharp.

"What?"

"We don't use that word here."

"I do." He reached her shoulder in height but he stood up to her anyway, daring her to do something.

She reached around and gave him a swat so fast that Hawkeye didn't even see it happen.

He said another Korean word, and it was a swear word in any language. Then he rushed at Kellye and raked his nails across Sing May's face. He tried to grab Sung Jung right from her, but Kellye held on tightly, screaming "No!"

"Beasts! Roaches!" He was shouting.

"Hey," Hawkeye bellowed, going for him. "Get away from her!"

"Ham, you mustn't!" Mulcahy was saying, and Meg looked like she could break someone in half.

Hawkeye caught him around the chest from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. "Leave them alone." He growled in his ear.

Ham kicked, making contact with his kneecap and then it was Hawkeye's turn to swear. "Stop that!"

But he wouldn't. When Meg got close enough, he kicked out and caught her right across the pelvis.

"Ham." Mulcahy tried his reasonable voice but it wasn't working, so finally he reeled back and punched him across the jaw, and Ham went limp in Hawkeye's grip.

"Well." Mulcahy said. Hawkeye lowered Ham to the floor, not quite as gently as he could have but he didn't do any damage.

"Is May all right?"

Kellye still held the babies, and was trying to comfort a screaming Sing May as blood poured from the scratches on her face. Sung Jung looked at them all with huge eyes, not sure what to do.

Hawkeye took Sing May and tended to her scratches, then held her until she calmed down.

Meg and Mulcahy packed Ham a bag and when he woke up Meg told him that he had a day to find somewhere else to go. "I hope someday, and soon, you learn how to act like a real person." Meg told him. "I took you in and cared for you and this is how you repay." She looked so sad.

***

"Well," Hawkeye said in bed that night. "I guess you were right about that."

"Yeah, and the sooner those babies are in Crabapple Cove with us, the better."


	9. Chapter 9

**This isn't the best chapter but I have an exciting one or two coming, so stay with me. Please r and r, and thanks to y'all who have and do.**

*******

The day to go home seemed like it arrived in a heartbeat, but once it was there, it also seemed like it would never end.

Sing May's scratches were healing nicely; the biggest problem they were having with her was keeping her from picking the scabs she seemed to find so interesting.

Meg nearly had to wrestle Sing May from Kellye's grasp, she was used to a little body in her arms now and she didn't want the emptiness to come back.

Hawkeye was holding Sung Jung and kept giving him one last kiss. Then he exchanged Sung Jung for Sing May and chuckled as she got a hold of his nose. She had become enthralled with his nose but he didn't mind. Her little hand was in the perfect place to kiss then and he took advantage of it.

The babies' skin was so soft and two shades lighter than Kellye's, and their black hair still had baby silkiness. Kellye stroked Sing May's hair as Hawkeye held her, and went to kiss Sung Jung, who made another grab for the necklace she wore.

"Squirrel," she called him, the nickname she had come up with for him. He loved that necklace; really he loved anything shiny. He swiped at Hawkeye's tie clip as well, but that monogrammed necklace, the first gift that Hawkeye had given her, was Sung Jung's favorite. "He has good taste," Hawkeye said when she told him.

Finally the married couple tore themselves away and they and Mulcahy were on their way.

Kellye cried in the car on the way to the airport, and Mulcahy patted her hand. "It'll be alright," he said. Hawkeye had his arm around her and when Mulcahy looked over at him, he saw that he was a little teary himself.

"Why, I know you'll have those babies home with you in no time!" Mulcahy proclaimed confidently.

***

Kellye moped for a few days, not wanting to work at the clinic with Hawkeye, just wanting to roam the house and see the lack of children.

"Dexter is busy with the paperwork," Hawkeye said, "Those two will be breathing Maine air in a few months." But he noticed the quietness too.

On the third day, Kellye was roaming and moping when she stopped outside the room that their children would sleep in. She opened the door and something hit her. "This place needs decorated!"

When Hawkeye got home that night he found her in the living room in the middle of decorating books, paint samples, and rough sketches she had made.

"Hey," Hawkeye said, kissing her. "What's all this?"

"The babies' room needs done." She gave him a distracted peck in return. "What do you think of this green color?"

"I have an aversion to some greens."

"The uniforms."

"Ah-huh."

"Okay. What do you think of this?" She showed him a yellowy color, with just a hint of green in it. It looked like the tips of lily plants when they first emerge from the soil in spring.

"It's nice." He sat down on the sofa and looked at all of her stuff. "You've been busy."

"I figured out what I needed. I can't mother the babies but I can get everything ready so I can when they get here." She looked at her materials for a bit and said, "We need a crib."

"I have that taken care of. Dad has the bed I slept in yet. He saved it in case I had kids. He can be kind of sentimental, you know."

"Great. Hawkeye, can we go shopping on Saturday?"

"Sure." Hawkeye leaned back into the sofa and smiled. She was happy again. And looking at all this stuff, that decorating business might be fun.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten!! Kellye is happy, Hawkeye is happy. Lets look in on them again, shall we?**

**Please R and R? Please?**

*******

On Saturday morning, Kellye was up earlier then usual, frying bacon and making Toad-in-the-Hole for breakfast, knowing that was a surefire way to get Hawkeye up without complaint. There was another way, but she had other plans for the day.

He padded down the stairs, tying the belt of his robe and yawning. "What's up?"

"We have shopping to do after breakfast."

"Do I get to get dressed first?" He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned as close to the skillet of bacon as he could while staying out of range of any grease spatters.

"Well that depends on how long you take. I might drag you to the car in your shorts if you take too long." She was grinning and he grinned back.

"I'll freeze!"

"Well then you'll learn." She managed to get the sentence out without laughing but only just.

They ate and Hawkeye headed up the get his clothes on, while Kellye looked over the sketches and notes she'd made. She was going with the light green color scheme, since she thought it worked for a boy and a girl; dark and masculine enough, but still pale and feminine enough.

Kellye was fairly good at drawing, and she was thinking of copying scenes from Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit onto the walls, instead of wallpaper and borders. She liked the mischievous rabbits, although she hoped the twins wouldn't turn out quite as sneaky as Peter.

Hawkeye came down the stairs dressed in a button-down shirt, a gunmetal grey sweater with bright blue trim that brought out his blue eyes, and dark grey trousers. She smiled at him and kissed him, and then she thrust his coat into his arms and said, "Let's go!"

***

They drove to the next largest town, and at Kellye's direction, right to the five and dime. She got her paint brushes, and several tubes each of the colors of paint that she needed for Peter Rabbit and his cohorts, as well as a sketch pad. When she came back to the car he looked at her and said, "What did you get?"

She showed him, and then pulled the book from her bag and began to look at the pictures. She took a pencil from her purse and started to copy the drawing of Peter looking wet and ashamed.

Hawkeye started the engine and proceeded to the hardware store.

They got enough of the light green paint, white for trim, and the brushes and rollers that they would need, and then they headed to Woolworths.

"Let's go to the baby department first."

"Okay." He followed her like the willing, puppy-dog eyed husband he was for the day.

"Look at that." She gestured to a blue and green blanket, done in a wild rabbit print. "That would be perfect!" She picked it up and handed it to him. The sales lady said they had a whole crib set to go with it, and soon Hawkeye was carrying that too.

Kellye knew they should wait a bit before they got clothes, since they might not fit by the time the babies came home. Then she spotted boys' and girls' pajamas, with matching rabbit appliqués on the left chests. They went into Hawkeye's arms too.

"Kellye?"

"Hmm?"

"How much more are you planning on giving me?"

She turned around, looked at him and burst out laughing. He was almost invisible behind the wall of fabric he was carrying, but he was following her faithfully.

"Well, that might be about it." She said when she wrestled her snorts of laughter down to giggles.

"I'm so glad." And that set her off again.

***

They stopped at their favorite Italian restaurant on the way home, D'Abruzzo's. They only made it there a few times a year, usually on their anniversary, but Giovanni D'Abruzzo always greeted them like long-lost sons and daughters.

"How are you two doing today?" He asked, shaking their hands.

"Fine. We were in the city shopping for our babies." Kellye said.

"Babies? You are not..?"

"No, we're adopting a set of twins from Korea. We just spent two weeks over there, and we can't wait until they can come home."

"That is wonderful, and when they do you must bring them in to meet everyone. We'll have a celebration!" Giovanni smile looked like it hurt, but they knew it to be genuine. The man loved little ones. He had nine of his own.

"We will."

They ate and when they were leaving, Giovanni called to them, "Don't forget! I must meet them."


	11. Chapter 11

**Here is Chapter Eleven. Enjoy, and yeah, you were right when you thought the bottum would drop out. **

*******

The house that Hawkeye had bought when it became apparent that the two of them living with Daniel in the house Hawkeye had grown up in wouldn't work as perfectly as Hawkeye had planned stood only a few block from the original Pierce home, and it to there that Hawkeye retreated when he and Kellye finished painting the babies' room, and she began to draw the rabbits.

"How's it going, son?"

"Oh, fine. She's transformed into a pre-Donald Margaret, but other then that, it's wonderful."

"Pre-Donald?"

"Remember how bossy I told you Margaret could be, when she and Frank were in cahoots? Kellye is bordering on that, although I know she means well."

Daniel shook his head. "Kellye?"

"She wants that room perfect."

"Nothing wrong with that."

"No, but I'm glad I can come here." He took a drink of coffee and grinned at his dad.

***

Kellye's efforts paid off, and the nursery was, as Daniel proclaimed, "A masterpiece!" The walls were pale yellowy-green, cheerful white trim graced the windows, and Kellye's hand-drawn Peter Rabbit pictures played around the walls at Hawkeye's waist level. Above, Kellye had placed several painting she had found featuring rabbits, as well as some newly framed family photographs.

Daniel looked at one showing himself, Hawkeye as a boy, and a lovely dark-haired woman standing under a huge tree. The tree still stood in Daniel's backyard. Daniel blinked at the picture and sighed. "So beautiful."

"She was," Kellye agreed, coming to stand beside him. "The twins should recognize their grandmother, even though they'll never meet her."

***

Hawkeye and Kellye lay in bed, his arms contentedly around her as they both slept, when the ringing phone woke them.

"An emergency at the clinic?" Kellye said, watching Hawkeye get into his robe.

"I'll let you know." He disappeared out the door.

Kellye sat up in bed, putting her arms around her knees, and sighed. The alarm clock read 4:12 AM, and she could hear a fierce late-March wind rattling a tree branch against the window. In her mind she ticked off the possible callers. Kevin and Miranda Harris's baby wasn't due for two more months, and everything was progressing perfectly. She supposed someone could have had an accident but who would be up at four in the—"Kellye!" Hawkeye's shout startled her out of her reverie.

"Kellye! Get down here!" He only spoke like that when it was important. She grabbed her robe and shoved her arms into it was as she hurried down the stairs.

"What is it?"

"Sung Jung is sick. Meg is afraid he might not make it."

"No," the little wail rose in her throat.

"I'm going to Korea. Meg thinks its pneumonia. I have to go."

"I'm coming too." She turned and ran back up the stairs. When she made it to their bedroom she dragged the suitcase out from under the bed and shoved clothes into it, barely registering what she was packing. _She couldn't lose another baby. This one she'd held. He couldn't die._

Hawkeye came upstairs long enough to dress, then headed back downstairs and in a minute she heard the car start. He was going to supplies, she realized, and to tell Daniel what was happening. In a few hours, they would book a flight to Korea, and then, _oh God, I can't remember how long the flight to Korea is! There are flight changes and…how long? Will Sung Jung be alive when we get there?_

When she'd jammed the suitcase full, she pulled on a black skirt, a turtleneck and a heavy sweater, ran a brush through her hair and put it in a ponytail, and dragged the bag down the stairs. She made coffee, because that was what her hands thought she should be doing at this time of the morning.

When Hawkeye got back, he had his medical bag full of what he would need to treat pneumonia, as well as a small suitcase of Daniel's full of other medical supplies. He checked the clock, took a gulp of coffee and called the airport.

Kellye listened to the conversation, wincing as he shouted at the clerk when she tried to talk him into taking an eight AM flight the next day. A half hour later, though, he had it booked. The flight they would be on left Portland, Maine in four hours.

"I packed."

"Good."

"Did you tell Daniel?"

"Yes, and he wishes us the best."

"He can't die."

"I know."


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's twelve. Short but uncomfortable, chapter thirteen will follow shortly. **

*******

Kellye didn't bother keeping track of how long it took to get to the West Coast, then onto another flight and another, until she had even lost track of how many planes they'd been on.

Hawkeye was silent most of the time, and she could see his mind working behind those blue eyes. She didn't ask what he was thinking, because she was thinking her own version. _Please let him be alive when we get there. I want to hold him again._

* * *

It was amazing, the way people got out of Hawkeye's way when he acted like that. The cab driver didn't want to take them all the way to Meg's, until in a very calm, very dangerous tone Hawkeye told him that was speaking to a captain in the US Army, and it he didn't cooperate, the next thing he drove would be hauling cinderblocks and it wouldn't have benefit of an engine.

The little Korean man looked up, way up at Hawkeye's 6'2" towering over his 5'1", and didn't bother to ask why he wasn't wearing a uniform.

Kellye hadn't slept since the phone woke them, but finally, so close to the destination, she leaned against Hawkeye's shoulder and closed her eyes.

She dreamt she was standing on the orphanage, and on a table in front of her were five tiny babies, smaller than a full-term infant, and one that looked eight or nine months old. They had Asian-American skin tones, they were wrapped in pink and blue blankets, and though they looked like they were sleeping, she knew they were all dead.

She woke up with a sob, looking around wildly. The orphanage was just coming into view, and Hawkeye looked around at her. "What's the matter?"

"I had a bad dream," she murmured, not wanting to relive it in the telling.

His eyes searched her face for a moment before he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "We're nearly there."

"I know."

The car pulled up to the building and the cabbie hauled the luggage from the trunk and looked almost afraid to ask Hawkeye for the fare. Hawkeye handed him double the amount and told him to have a nice day, and the man scrambled into his car and sped down the drive.

The two of them looked at one another, Hawkeye picked up their suitcases and they let themselves in.

"Meg?"

A twelve year old girl sat just inside the entrance. "Hawkeye and Kellye?"

"Yes."

"Come with me. Sung Jung is this way."


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's thirteen. I feel like I ramble a bit but...**

*******

Hawkeye and Kellye followed the girl to the little infirmary and the first thing they saw was Meg standing there with her hand over her eyes.

"Meg." Hawkeye said.

She jumped. "Hawkeye, Kellye. You're finally here. Sung Jung is here." She gestured to a crate on the table and as they advanced toward it Kellye's stomach tightened so she felt like she was going to throw up.

Sung Jung lay in the crate, still and silent. "Is he?" Kellye asked, her voice a rough whisper.

Just then, the infant coughed.

"He's still alive, but I'm glad I have a real doctor here." Meg said.

Hawkeye went to work. He listened to his lungs and shook his head at the painful sound he heard in the little boy's lungs. "Have you done cool mist humidification?"

"One of the reasons he's in the crate."

"Good." He went to the suitcases, pulled out the medication he brought and gave Sung Jung a dose.

Kellye stood a foot away, watching Hawkeye's sure movements as he did what he could for the child. "Come on," Hawkeye said, catching her wary looks. "A sick baby needs a mother."

"Is he well enough to hold?"

"Not now. Later." He stroked his hand along Sung Jung's feverish forehead and said, "You're going to get better."

***

Kellye took up the vigil while Meg took Hawkeye to the same room they'd stayed in when they were there before. She sat with him, running her fingertips over his little body and murmuring to him. He opened his eyes and looked at her for a moment, and she thought she saw a hint of recognition. She hoped she did. _No, he's too young._ She chided herself.

But she couldn't deny the little one's relaxation after the look.

Hawkeye came back from stashing the bags and said, "How is he?"

"He can't recognize me, but it almost seems like he does."

Hawkeye just smiled. Meg was behind him, and Kellye turned to her and asked, "Where's Sing May?"

"One of the older girls is taking care of her. I didn't want to have them together, if he's contagious."

"Why don't I sit with him, and you wash up and see May?"

"All right."

***

Sung Jung's condition held steady through the night, not worsening but not improving either. The next morning, Kellye sat holding him when he drew a big breath and it seemed like forever until he let it out. He relaxed against her and fell asleep.

"Hawkeye?"

Before he could say anything, Sung Jung's eyes opened and he began to cough. He coughed until his face was bloody red, and several huge globs of mucus ended up on Kellye's shirt. Then, exhausted, he fell back to sleep.

Hawkeye listened to his lungs again and smiled. "I think the medicine is starting to work."

***

His condition improved slowly but steadily after that, and by the third day, he smiled when they smiled at him, wanting to stay in Hawkeye or Kellye's arms at all times.

"I wish we could take them home when we leave." Kellye mused to Hawkeye one evening.

"Well we don't know how long we're going to be here, we didn't make a plan. I wonder what Dexter would say if I gave him a little call."

"You don't think we could?"

"Wouldn't get my hopes up but I suppose it's possible. I suppose Dad's wondering when I'll be back to work at the clinic."

"He handled it the whole time you were in the war."

"And before."

Sung Jung whimpered, and Kellye soothed him absently. He had started sleeping in the room with them, at first so Hawkeye was within listening distance, then because he seemed to improve faster after Kellye or Hawkeye had spent time holding him.

"Are you going to call him?"

"Yeah. I have to figure out the damn time difference again though. I wish I had Radar here." His face lit up. "I wonder if he'd mind helping an old friend."

"You're not going to call Radar to ask for a time-difference?" Kellye was incredulous.

"Not _just _for that." Hawkeye was almost giddy. Sung Jung was recovering, he was going to talk to Radar. and maybe, _just maybe_, they could take their babies home with them when they went.


	14. Chapter 14

**Fourteen has arrived. **

*******

The next day, Hawkeye did a little counting and he thought he recalled Radar saying once that the US was eighteen hours behind Korea. "Ten pm here will be six am there," he told Kellye.

That night he waited and at ten he called Radar. It rang several times, and then a slightly sleepy voice answered, "O'Reilly residence."

"Radar!"

"Huh?" Hawkeye could picture Radar in his robe, rubbing his hand over his eyes and settling his glasses back in place. "Hawkeye?"

"That's me."

"What's going on?"

"I'm in Korea. Kellye and I are adopting a set of twins and one of them was pretty sick so we came back over."

"Oh, is the baby okay now?"

"He's getting better. How are you?"

"Oh, me and Annie are fine. Lyle is sleeping through the night now."

"I can't get over you being a daddy." Hawkeye laughed. Little Lyle Franklin O'Reilly had come along just about five months before, and Radar had sent them a photograph of himself, his little wife Annie, and the baby not long after Hawkeye and Kellye got back from the trip to Korea. Radar was beaming so brightly one could have used him to read by.

"Was there something I could do for you?" Radar stifled a yawn.

"I thought you country folks were up with the sun." Hawkeye teased.

"Well we—" Hawkeye could almost hear the blood rushing to Radar's face when he realized what he almost let out. Hawkeye laughed at him, saying, "The sun doesn't rise as early this time of year, huh?"

"Just wanted to chat, and to ask you if you'd do me a little favor. Would you call my lawyer at about nine am eastern, and tell him to call Hawkeye Pierce?" He gave him the number and after Radar had read it back he continued, "I'm not sure, precisely, when it'll be nine o'clock in Maine, but I'd like to take a little nap in between then and now, so if he could call me that'd be terrific. Tell him to put the charge on my bill."

"Sure."

"I'll be waiting for the call. When we get back to Maine, you and the family should come out and see us."

"Hey, that'd be neat."

"And I won't disturb you till after seven am." Hawkeye couldn't resist the tease.

"Wha—Hawkeye!"

"Have a nice day."

"You too. Give Kellye my best."

***

Hawkeye was dozing by the phone when it rang. He jerked upright and for a second he didn't know where he was. When he remembered he picked up the phone and said, "Hello."

"Mr. Pierce?"

"Yes, Mr. Dexter?"

"Yes. Someone called me and said you wanted to speak with me."

"Yes. Would there be any way for us to bring the babies home with us in the next month or so?"

"I don't know for sure," Hawkeye heard papers rustling. "Let me look into it and get back to you."

"Sounds good. Thank you."

"Thank you."


	15. Chapter 15

Three days later, the phone rang again and it was Dexter. "Immigration approved the twins, but the earliest they could enter the country is April twenty-sixth."

"That's nearly a month!"

"Yes, well, it's the best that can be done."

"Fine." Hawkeye hung up the phone and frowned at Kellye.

"What?" Kellye jiggled Sing May on her hip.

"Late April, he says, is the earliest the babies could enter the country."

"That long?"

Hawkeye made a face. "Yep."

"I'm not leaving them again. Hawkeye, why don't you go back to Maine for a while, and I'll stay here."

"I can't leave you here alone."

"I won't be alone. Meg is here, and the children. I'm sure she'd like having an extra set of hands for a month."

Hawkeye looked hesitant.

"Meg," Kellye called out.

"What, honey?" Meg stood up from washing one of the little one's faces and came over to them.

"The lawyer says the babies can't come home with us until late April, but I am not going to get on a plane again without these two right beside me. So I want to stay here and wait with them until the time is up."

Meg looked mildly surprised, but then she smiled. "Well, that'd be interesting, anyway. If you can manage it, I suppose you could stay until then. What about Hawkeye's practice?"

"Hawkeye has to go back home before then. It'd just be me."

Meg's glance shifted between the two married people, and she could sense the strain. "Kellye would be fine here, Hawkeye. It would probably be good for the babies to have her with them the extra time anyway."

All Hawkeye would do was nod.

***

"I don't want to be away from you that long," Hawkeye whispered to her that night.

"It won't be that long, and it's for the babies."

"I know it's for the babies but I—" He cut himself off, looking away from her.

"What?" She took his hand and placed a kiss on his palm.

"I don't want to be half a world away from my family again."

"But we are when we're in Maine. I don't want to be a half a world away from my babies." She sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Remember when I woke up in the cab on the way here, and I told you it was a bad dream?"

"Yeah."

"It was more than a bad dream." And she told him about it, noting how the pale blankets had brought out the dim pallor of the infants' cheeks. When she finished she'd started to cry and in the low light of the candle that lit the room, she could see the horror on Hawkeye's face.

"That's…." he trailed off, and she realized he was thinking about the baby the woman on a bus had smothered to keep quiet when enemy soldiers were nearby, towards the end of the war. That incident had unhinged Hawkeye for a while, for good reason.

"I have to stay with them."

"All right."

***

Hawkeye went home on April sixth, kissing Kellye and the babies many time before he got into the cab. "Be careful. I'll call when I get home." He said.

"It's twenty days until we can all be together."

"I know."

"That's less than three weeks."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

***

When Hawkeye unlocked the door to their house in Maine, he looked at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall, found a pen and circled the twenty-sixth. In the square he wrote, "All Together."


	16. Chapter 16

**If you were waiting to read more of this story, you sure had a long wait!! But here is the next chapter. There wil be one or two more chapters coming yet, and I hope they please. Please let me know what you think! :-)**

*******

The first night Hawkeye was alone in the house, he thought of Kellye all those miles away and watched the second hand tick through more than forty-five revolutions. Then he sighed and got out of bed. "No sense in lying there," he said to himself, mostly to hear someone speak.

He padded downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Four bottles of beer sat there, and he knew they would be so nice and cold. If he drank them all, he wouldn't have a problem sleeping.

He stared at them, sighed and reached for the clear glass pitcher Kellye kept the milk in. He poured himself a glass and took a swig and nearly threw up on the kitchen floor. That milk had been there since before they left for Korea, and it tasted like it.

He dumped the glass down the sink and turned on the water, rinsing out the glass he poured the milk into well before he stuck it under the faucet and rinsed the taste out of his mouth.

He padded into the living room and the wicker basket with his knitting needles and yarn caught his eye. He didn't knit very often anymore and when he picked up the needles he couldn't even remember what the shape on them was intended to be. He took the whole basket to the sofa with him and sat down. He slipped the mystery article off the needles and unraveled it, then searched through the basket.

He saw a skein of soft blue wool and smiled. Brightly colored, it was a birthday gift from BJ. He stopped and stared at it for a moment, remembering the day the postman had brought a shoebox-sized box to the door. "Happy Birthday, Hawkeye." The old man said.

"Thanks." Inside was four skeins of that delightfully blue wool, a photograph of BJ, a very pregnant Peg, and little Erin Hunnicutt, and a long letter.

Hawkeye had knitted two of them up into a scarf that, at last recollection, lay on the floor in the hall closet since Hawkeye would not go that far inside the small space to pick it up.

Hawkeye fingered the wool and looked at his needles. He picked them both up and began to cast on.

The next morning the morning sun streaming in the window woke him. His knitting lay on his lap, seventeen rows done before he had fallen asleep. He stretched and laid if off to the side and went to get ready for work.

***

"Morning, Son." Daniel greeted Hawkeye later that morning when he met him at the coffee pot.

"Morning." Hawkeye took a deep drink and enjoyed the rich flavor. After the swill he had endured for three years in Korea, he made sure the coffee at the clinic was the best he could find.

"How was your night?"

"Fine." Hawkeye wouldn't meet Daniel's gaze.

"Missing her?"

Hawkeye sighed.

"You'll be fine. She'll be home in less than three weeks. But you know, if you can't sleep you can always come over to the house. Bring your knitting."

Hawkeye shot a surprised look at him.

"I know you. If you can't sleep, you'll find your way to those needles sooner or later." Daniel was grinning. "What are you making?"

Hawkeye actually blushed. "A hat for Sung Jung."

"Are you going to make a matching one for Sing May?"

"I was thinking about it."

"Good. Keep you busy."

***

Hawkeye called Kellye the next night, and received a favorable report. The babies were fine, Sung Jung was recovering beautifully, and though Kellye missed him and home she was glad she stayed with them.

"I know it's for the best," Hawkeye said, "but I still miss you."

"I miss you too. But I'll be home soon and then we'll have the little ones!"

Hawkeye heard the excitement in Kellye's voice and tried to let it seep into him, but as he sat on the sofa after they disconnected the call, he knitted the little hat and thought of the empty beds upstairs. He put on his jacket, stuffed his knitting in the pocket and headed over to Daniel's house.

***

"Hawkeye?" BJ's sounded surprised when he heard his old army buddy's voice on the phone.

"Yeah. How are you?"

"Fine. You?"

"Oh, I'm here."

"You're going stir crazy, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"What have you been up to?"

Hawkeye told him about the four little hats, all lined up on the coffee tables, and how damn tempting the four beers in the fridge were looking just then.

"So drink one of them."

"I don't want to start using alcohol to solve my problems. That's what I did in Korea. I'm not in Korea anymore. I thought a talk with an old friend might cheer me up."

"Sure, if you want."

"How's Peg?"

"Oh! I wasn't going to tell you until you had your little ones home, but we're pregnant again."

Hawkeye laughed. "That's terrific! How far along is she?"

"About four months."

"You think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

"I think another girl. Then, maybe the next one can be a boy and it'll be all balanced out."

"Next one? Did you tell Peg your plans?"

"Well no." BJ admitted, laughing. Hawkeye laughed with him.

"I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, and I can't wait to meet your two. Are we still on for next fall?"

They had planned a get-together for September, out in Mill Valley, along with a few of the other M*A*S*Hers. "Yep. If this month ever ends."

"It's already the fourteenth. You'll live."

"I seem to recall how antsy you could get about having your family all together." Hawkeye said a bit defensively.

"I know just where you're coming from. Take a deep breath, have one beer and don't fall asleep on your knitting needles."

"How-?"

"I lived with you how long? Have a good night."

"You too."

***

April twenty rolled around. Hawkeye had spent more time at Daniel's house than he had since he and Kellye were married, and he had knit eight little hats, as well as four bottle-warmers and two pairs of booties.

The twenty-first would be the last day he worked, since he had a flight booked to Korea on the twenty-second. The babies would be coming home with both their parents on the twenty-sixth.

At one am on the twenty second there was a furious beating on the door. "Doc!" A frantic man's voice shouted.

Hawkeye hurried downstairs and opened the door to find Arthur Krett standing there in his pajamas with his coat thrown overtop.

"You have to help her, doc. She's bleeding bad."

"Who?"

"Jinny" He gestured to the car and Hawkeye could just make out a form half-reclining on the front seat.

"The baby?"

"Yeah."

"Help me get her inside. Then call my father and tell him we have a near-full term hemorrhage. Number's by the phone. He'll know what to bring."

Hawkeye and Arthur carried Jinny Krett in the house and laid her on the dining room table, since it was the only flat surface of the right height. Hawkeye bellowed at Arthur to grab a sofa cushion for her head when he came back from calling his father.

"How you feeling?" Hawkeye asked the young brunette gently.

"It hurts," she whimpered.

"I know. How bad does it hurt? Is it low, like a tearing pain, or more of an off-and-on contracting pain?"

"Off and on."

"I have to check you out."

She nodded, and he bent her knees and checked between her legs. The bleeding wasn't as bad as Arthur's frantic tone had led him to believe, and Hawkeye's heartbeat slowed a little as a result.

"I think you're just having the baby," Hawkeye said soothingly. You're not bleeding too bad, no more than some women do."

"Okay." Her face twisted and he knew she was having another pain. He skirted around the table and held her hand until it subsided.

"Is she alive?" Arthur shouted as he came back into the dining room. He put the pillow under her head and took Hawkeye's place holding her hand.

"She's just in labor. Some women bleed more than others. She's going to be fine, and you're going to be a daddy tonight." He grinned as the head appeared.

Daniel voice sounded from the kitchen then, and Hawkeye shouted to let him know where they were. "How is she?"

"Just in labor." Arthur held her hand while she bore down and in only a few minutes Hawkeye was holding a slippery, bloody little girl in his hands. He was surprised when he felt a rush of tears come to his eyes.

Daniel fetched a towel and wrapped the little girl up, clearing her mouth and nose before he handed her to Jinny.

Hawkeye placed towels under Jinny and when she gave birth to the placenta he wrapped it and carried it to the kitchen.

Daniel had brought the ambulance and he took mother and daughter to the hospital while Arthur followed in his car. He clapped Hawkeye on the back before he left. "Well, wasn't that a fitting start for the day?"

Hawkeye only smiled.

*******

**Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long in coming as those one did. I promise this isn't going to be an orphan story with no ending. Just keep checking, it'll be here eventually. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Ah, Chapter seventeen. Only took two months. Good lord I'm slow. Sorry. **

*******

Hawkeye's flight left at eight-twenty that morning and while his assisting Jinny Krett in delivering her baby during the night had taken several hours of sleep out of his schedule, he still felt wired. Not long now, till he had his family all together again.

The plane touched down and the man in the seat beside Hawkeye stood up and hurried down the aisle, as if he were anxious to get away from his neighbor. Hawkeye watched him go and thought, _Odd._

Hawkeye disembarked and hurried through the crowd to claim his luggage. He caught a cab and after some debate he convinced the driver to take him out to Meg's place. The knot in his stomach got tighter as each mile passed and he found himself actually nervous about seeing his wife again. He shook his head and sighed. "Too long without-" he glanced at the cabbie and didn't finish his sentence.

Meg's place came into view and as the car pulled into the yard and Hawkeye scrambled out with his luggage, the front door opened and there she was, barefoot with a baby on each hip.

She had never looked more beautiful.

"Kellye," Hawkeye said, catching all three of them in a rib-crunching hug. The babies whimpered but Kellye laughed. "I'll hug you properly in a minute," she said, turning to give the babies to Meg. When she finished with Hawkeye he had a feeling that there would be a mark around his ribs where her arms had been, and the thought couldn't have made him happier.

Behind Hawkeye someone made an impatient noise. Hawkeye paid the cab driver and when he turned to face Kellye again she flashed a mischievous grin and hooked her arms around his neck, dragging him down so she could reach to give him a toe-curling kiss. "I missed you," she said.

"I guess." Hawkeye said, grinning, a familiar look in his blue eyes.

"You two lovebirds contain yourselves," Meg spoke up from the doorway.

Kellye pulled away from Hawkeye but she kept an arm around him, as they both turned to Meg with a smile, hers slightly more guilty than his.

"Sorry," Hawkeye said good-naturedly. "Haven't seen her in a while."

"I understand, but there are children present." The look on Meg's face said she was teasing.

"My babies." The look on Hawkeye's face changed, going soft and he went towards the babies. Sung Jung stuffed his fist in his mouth and watched him come, but Sing May held out her arms and crowed as Hawkeye scooped her up and gathered her against him.

"A daddy's girl." Meg said, smiling.

"Darn right and I'm going to spoil her rotten."

***

Hawkeye and Kellye lay in bed that night, her back to his front and his arms locking them together as he nuzzled her neck. "I missed you so much," he murmured.

"I missed you too, but I'm glad I stayed here with them. I needed to stay with them."

"I understand." He sighed and felt her shiver over his breath on her neck. They were quiet for a few minutes, and then he smiled and said, "Jinny Krett had her baby."

"She did?"

"On our dining room table."

Kellye laughed. "Good a place as any, I suppose."

"Arthur was completely out of his mind."

"Hmm?"

He chuckled and related the events of his last night in Crabapple Cove. By the time he was finished she was laughing silently but with such force that the cots were making noises on the floor.

"Oh," she wheezed. "Meg's going to think we're…"

Hawkeye nipped her earlobe. "If she thinks it we may as well—"

"No!" She swatted at him. "Just a few more days."

Hawkeye sighed dramatically. "This is how it's going to be from now on, isn't it?"

"When the babies are awake."

Hawkeye pretended to ponder that for a moment. "I guess it's worth it."

"You guess?" Kellye sounded shocked.

He chucked in her ear in response. "I can't wait till we're all at home."

"Me neither."

"Until then…" he tightened his arms around her and snuggled his chin into her shoulder. "I love you, and I missed you so much."

"Me too."

*******

**Alright, there's seventeen. Two or so more to go. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen not as long in coming as seventeen and sixteen were. Just think, someday this story will be done!!**

*******

Packing dominated the next day, but as the Korean sun slipped lower, Meg smiled at the two new parents and said she had a surprise for them.

"What?" Hawkeye asked, making sure the suitcase was securely fastened.

"I have a little farewell dinner planned for the four of you. Hopefully this will be the first of many adoptions from my little place, and the beginning of a long and happy life for you, so we must celebrate."

"But you don't have supplies to have a party…" Kellye protested.

Meg looked sly. "I had something tucked away for this occasion."

Hawkeye and Kellye looked at one another, and Kellye's eyes filled. "Thank you."

***

Meg produced a cake after supper that night, much to the younger children's delight. It had only white frosting but Meg had spelled "Congratulations" on the top anyway. It was lovely. They ate together in a companionable silence, then Hawkeye raised his glass.

"To the best orphanage mother in Korea!"

"Here here!" Kellye said.

***

The next morning Hawkeye and Kellye were awake before the sun. They loaded the babies and the suitcases into Meg's truck and she drove them to the airport, leaving the oldest girl behind to care for the other children.

They made it to the airport and Meg hugged the two adults and babies, saying, "I wish I could stay to see you off but I'd better get back to the little ones. You know my address."

"Thank you, Meggie," Hawkeye said, giving her a big kiss that left her swaying a little.

"My," Meg said, grinning at Kellye, "I can see why you married him."

They parted laughing after that, waving and smiling.

It took a while but eventually Hawkeye, Kellye and the babies were in their seats and the plane began to taxi down the runway. Each held one twin in his or her lap and Kellye whispered, "We're going home. "

***

Ten hours into the flight, Hawkeye lay against the window sleeping and Kellye was talking quietly to Sing May when the plane jerked. Hawkeye nearly lost his grip on Sung Jung and he came awake swearing.

The plane jerked again.

Kellye's eyes were huge and both babies were wailing.

"This can't be happening, we can't be this close to home and die in a plane crash." Hawkeye muttered.

"Henry did."

They found one another's hands and clasped them and the babies tightly. The plane pitched and started to lose altitude.

"God." One word, but it summed up everything perfectly.

Around them other children started to wail and several adults were weeping as well. A stewardess came through assuring them that the turbulence was normal but she had small worry lines between her blue eyes. Kellye and Hawkeye gripped each other tighter.

Minutes passed, timed by each person's heart beating in their ears. Hawkeye found himself counting his heartbeats and comparing them to Kellye's and the babies'. He was two beats behind Kellye. In a small, curtained off part of his brain he found himself wondering what Henry's heart rate had been when his plane was going down.

_Wait,_ he scolded himself. _You don't know you're going down. The stewardess said we're going to be fine._

_Yeah, you think she's really going to come through and say "We're all going to die!"_

He hated it when he had a point.

Five minutes passed, and the plane shuddered and was still. In a moment, they felt it begin to climb.

"God," Kellye murmured.

Beside her, Hawkeye went into a giggling fit.

*******

**There's eighteen, what did you think? Short, I know. I wanted to get a little more tension in there. Did I accomplish that? :-)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen, and only two days after eighteen. Come on, I must be causing a heart attack or two with that!!**

***

When the Pierces emerged from the airport, there was a familiar face waiting for them.

"Dad!" Hawkeye said, catching him in a hug that made Sung Jung, whom he was carrying, squeak in protest.

Daniel stepped back and looked at the little boy his son was holding. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and then Daniel looked up into Hawkeye's blue gaze. "I'm a grandfather."

"I'm a dad."

Kellye hugged her little girl tighter.

**

It didn't take very long for them to get Sing May and Sung Jung to go to sleep; the two of them were practically twin limp noodles in their new family's arms. A warm bottle and soon both were snuggled into their Peter Rabbit bedroom.

Daniel sat in the living room with a cup of coffee. As soon as they hit the door he'd headed for the kitchen and started a pot brewing. Kellye and Hawkeye both took a cup and joined him.

"What happened?" Daniel asked.

Hawkeye sighed. "A little turbulence on the flight home. We made it though."

Daniel nodded once. He looked like he didn't trust himself to speak.

"What do you think of my babies?" Kellye asked, her voice full of maternal pride.

"They are the most beautiful twins I've ever seen," Daniel replied.

**

Three months later, Kellye stood inside the open front door, beaming a welcome as Radar hauled several suitcases up the porch steps and a tall, strong-looking red head carried a round-faced little boy behind him.

Hawkeye was bringing up the rear with another suitcase and he gave Kellye a silly grin, cutting his eyes to Radar's wife. She made two of their favorite ex-company clerk, although she wasn't a heavy woman.

This wasn't the first time they had met, but the thought of this woman with Radar still struck them as a little strange, and maybe kind of funny. Still, Annie O'Riley was a lovely woman, and when Radar looked at her there was unadulterated adoration in his eyes.

Sung Jung and Sing May were in the living room, confined in a baby gate to keep out of the foot traffic, and when Lyle saw the two dark-skinned babies he began to grin. "Play!" he demanded.

"Should I?" Annie asked Kellye, gesturing to the play pen.

"Sure."

Annie lowered Lyle into the pen with the other two and they all looked at one another for a minute, then Sing May held out a rubber horse to Lyle, who grinned and grabbed it. Soon the three of them were busily playing.

Radar and Annie were settled into the guest bedroom, then the adults gathered in the living room with coffee and cookies.

"How was the trip?" Hawkeye asked.

"Fine. Walter almost got us a speeding ticket," Annie answered, nudging her husband gently, her tone gently reproving.

"_Walter!_" Hawkeye gasped. Radar blushed a pale pink.

Annie and Radar looked at one another, sharing a private smile. "Should we tell them?" Annie asked.

"You tell them."

Annie grinned. "We're going to have another baby."

"Hey, that's great!" Hawkeye said, coming to his feet to hug the expectant couple. "Kellye, isn't that great?"

"Yes. When are you due?" Kellye was hugging them as well, then everyone settle back into their seats.

"January."

Kellye smiled. "Me too."

Three shocked faced turned toward her, and she just smiled.

*******

**Alright, who here saw that coming? Should I leave it at that or add one more chapter?**


	20. Chapter 20

**The Last Chapter!!!!**

*******

July 27, 1963

A group of men, women and many, many children milled around a quiet Iowa farmyard. Several dogs trotted through the group, hoping for dropped crumbs. It was a reunion. Ten years before, hell had ended for a group of men and women a world away, and today that group—for the most part—were gathered to celebrate being alive.

On the steps of the farmhouse a tall red headed woman was banging an iron triangle. Behind her a shorter man with a receding hairline and a soft midsection carried a platter of roast pork chops. From all corners of the yard people came, drawn by the promise of food.

Three years in hell had given the company an appreciation for hot, freshly-made meals and for those that had arrived at the O'Reilly farm a few days early the pull was even greater, because they knew what they were in for.

A red haired five year old threaded his way through the crowd, closely followed by a Korean boy and girl around the same age and another, slightly smaller Korean-American girl. Near the steps a tall man with silver threaded through his black hair grinned when he saw them.

"May and SJ have their own tour guide." Hawkeye told Kellye.

"And Danielle is following the leader," Kellye replied.

"I'm surprised she's not with Henri. Hey Radar, where's Henri?"

The shorter man's head swiveled around. "She's playing with Josh Honeycutt and Rose Klinger. She just kissed Josh!"

"Young love," Hawkeye sighed.

Radar grinned.

The baby on Kellye's hip squeaked and she began to sway to quiet him. "BJ is antsy. I better go feed him."

"Hurry up, or there won't be any pork chops left for you."

Kellye grinned at her husband. "Sure there will, because you're going to save me two of them."

"Oh. In that case," he kissed the baby and he kissed the woman and stepped over in line to fill his plate.

*******

**There is it, finally! Looked like it wouldn't get done for a while there, right? What did you think?**


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